Things only adults notice about Saved by the Bell

It takes nearly 30 years of perspective to truly soak in how many stars appeared on Saved by the Bell over the years. Ignoring The College Years and The New Class, and even overlooking the star-studded pilot episode of Good Morning, Miss Bliss, Saved by the Bell played host to several then-unknown actors who would go on to become stars.

Long before Leah Remini became a household name on King of Queens, for example, she had a central recurring role as Stacey Carosi in the Malibu Sands story arc. Eric Dane, best known as Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy actually made his acting debut in that Malibu Sands arc, playing one of the opposing volleyball players in “The Game.”

Around the same time as she was cast in Beverly Hills, 90210, the show that made her into a star, Tori Spelling was playing the small recurring role of Violet Bickerstaff, Screech’s girlfriend. Scott Wolf from Party of Five fame appeared in eight episodes, playing an unnamed student. He was usually spotted working as a waiter at the Max.

Then there was the stars who played even smaller roles, like Christine Taylor (above), Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, and Michael Jai White. These actors all showed up in or around Bayside, some only in the background, very early on in their careers.